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THE BEST FILMS OF 2024 - AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...



Everyone can google IMDB and Metacritic, in about a second, or Variety or Den of Geek or Sight and Sound, and find other lists of the best movies of 2024. The films listed below were on many end of year lists. At least four have a good chance of winning the Oscar for Best Picture - an asterix indicates the three I currently believe have the best shot.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN - charming, well-acted tale of a young genius growing up

*ANORA - heartachingly sad, side-splittingly funny, sometimes scary, often sexy, it's uniquely potent

A REAL PAIN - some will find it slight, but this Holocaust tour/buddy film has heart and soul and wit

BLITZ - a beautifully filmed revisionist take on the Blitz Spirit by Steve McQueen

CHALLENGERS - a witty, erotic highly stylised play on the tennis as love theme


CIVIL WAR - Jesse Plemons steals the show as a MAGA-like madman


*CONCLAVE - Ralph Fiennes never better in a clever Christie-adjacent thriller with big twist ending


DUNE 2 - I still prefer Lynch's mad version, but this was epic smart filmmaking


EMILIA PEREZ - potentially offensive, but with great songs and acting; maverick, doomed


FLOW - one of the most stirring and beautiful animation films ever made; truly great work


HERETIC - maybe best-acted horror film since SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and theologically smart


JUROR #2 - a bit stodgy at first, but its final moments leave an indelible powerful point


MEGALOPOLIS - deeply-flawed work of late style genius from eccentric director worth seeing


MY OLD ASS - Plaza charms in this sweet, very low-key coming of age comedy


REBEL RIDGE - a star was born in this startlingly fresh take on an old plot


SEPTEMBER 5TH - a superior media-focused movie about the dawn of live terrorism


SING SING - Colman Domingo's acting makes this prison drama profoundly moving


*THE BRUTALIST - A brilliant American epic as great as THERE WILL BE BLOOD; a masterpiece


THE NICKEL BOYS - One of the most disturbing and unique films about US racism ever, superb


THE SUBSTANCE - visually stunning, powerfully feminist body horror


WICKED, PART ONE - As good an adaptation as fans could wish for, and thought-provoking too



And who will win some of the key awards?


The Brutalist is the most impressive epic of the year, and a harsh critique of the American Dream, and anti-immigrant sentiment; it's almost as if a Millennial set out to re-imagine a Citizen Kane-sized project, but emphasising contemporary concerns of sexual violence, racism, and capitalist ignorance. It's not as good as Kane, but in the same ballpark, with innovative cinematography, use of AI, and a powerful avant-garde score, and brilliant acting. It should win Best Picture, but Conclave is also topical, intelligent, entertaining, and beautifully filmed, with superb performances; and Anora has the sort of X-rated impudence and grit of Midnight Cowboy, and a striking central performance.


Best Actor should go to Mr Brody, but he was won before, and his accent was apparently AI-improved, which may be the death knell. Mr Chalamet sang his own songs, and magically captured the insouciant weird genius of Bob Dylan, and is young, beautiful and adored. He may win. Mr Fiennes could be a surprise winner, but as deserving as his career is, this is not his night, probably.


Best Actress is for Ms Demi Moore to lose. The other performances are mostly excellent (one is marred by online tweets) but Ms Moore's bravura work here was so brave, naked, and challenging, and the message of The Substance so important, especially for women in film, and society, this seems all but certain. And the idea of rewarding a Hollywood legend too long ignored is satisfying.


For the same reason, Ms Rossellini will win Best Supporting Actress, and Mr Culkin will win Best Supporting Actor - they're hugely popular, and come from acting dynasties. That Mr Ed Norton and Ms Erivo were better is beside the point.


Best Director could go to at least four of the nominated, and will likely swing behind the Best Picture vote.

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